Radar range: Wayward Chihuahua back home after journey

By Steve Huffman / Times-News

Published: Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 05:54 PM.

“You could tell she was a dog lover,” he said. “She didn’t want to give Radar up, but she knew it was the right thing to do.”

How Radar traveled from Willowbrook Park to Ross Street is a secret Radar isn’t sharing. Even as the crow flies, it’s a distance of well over a mile. It includes the crossing of a railroad track and several busy streets.

Lonon lives with his girlfriend and their three children from previous marriages. They also own another Chihuahua — a female named Viva.

Lonon said the door to their house is constantly opening and closing, with people coming and going.

No one is sure when Radar snuck out, though the family determined he was AWOL on the morning of May 11. They immediately began a search. A jogger circling Willowbrook Park said he’d seen a dog matching Radar’s description narrowly avoiding becoming roadkill on nearby Front Street.

Lonon hustled to the site, but Radar was nowhere to be found. That prompted Lonon to take out the ad in the Times-News.

Lonon said that over the course of the almost-week the ad ran, he fielded about 70 calls about his wayward Chihuahua.

This is where Radar needs to come clean about his travels. The dog managed to make it from Willowbrook Park to a residence in Hopedale, not far from Copland Fabrics.

In little doggie steps, that’s a long ways — almost five miles. Admittedly, Radar had some help.

Amber Pizzino is the woman who had been taking care of Radar for the better part of a week. A sister to one of Pizzino’s neighbors had seen Radar trudging along Ross Street, not far from Apple Street.

She offered Radar a ride and he gladly accepted. The woman knew Pizzino’s sister, Ashley, has a female Chihuahua named Paris, so she drove Radar to Hopedale. Pizzino and her sister live together.

“She said, ‘Y’all want a Chihuahua?’ ” Pizzino said she was asked.

Pizzino accepted.

“His name was Jack,” said of Radar’s alias during his week on the lam.

Radar … er, Jack … and Paris hit it off well. They nuzzled as puppy pals are prone to do.

“He seemed a little scared at first, but he made himself at home,” Pizzino said.

She’s not sure the day Radar/Jack joined their family. She thinks it was last Tuesday — May 14.

Eventually someone mentioned the classified ad that told of Radar’s disappearance. Pizzino got a copy of the paper and compared the picture to the dog sitting beside her.

“It was him, for sure,” Pizzino said.

She asked if his name was Radar. The Chihuahua’s ears perked up.

Pizzino called Lonon who drove to Hopedale.

“I was very skeptical,” Lonon said of his initial reaction to the likelihood his dog had made it to Hopedale. “I wanted to make sure. She seemed absolutely positive it was my dog.”

It was. Ask Lonon and he’ll tell you there’s not but one Radar, a 4-year-old he’s owned since it was only a couple of months old.

Pizzino said she hated to see Radar/Jack go, but knew it was the right thing to do.

“I was more happy than sad,” she said. “I got to see him go home. I’m real big-hearted when it comes to animals.”

Before Radar/Jack left, Pizzino held Paris so the canines could give one another a doggie-kiss goodbye.

Lonon said he’s forever grateful Pizzino called.

“You could tell she was a dog lover,” he said. “She didn’t want to give Radar up, but she knew it was the right thing to do.”

How Radar traveled from Willowbrook Park to Ross Street is a secret Radar isn’t sharing. Even as the crow flies, it’s a distance of well over a mile. It includes the crossing of a railroad track and several busy streets.

Lonon lives with his girlfriend and their three children from previous marriages. They also own another Chihuahua — a female named Viva.

Lonon said the door to their house is constantly opening and closing, with people coming and going.

No one is sure when Radar snuck out, though the family determined he was AWOL on the morning of May 11. They immediately began a search. A jogger circling Willowbrook Park said he’d seen a dog matching Radar’s description narrowly avoiding becoming roadkill on nearby Front Street.

Lonon hustled to the site, but Radar was nowhere to be found. That prompted Lonon to take out the ad in the Times-News.

Lonon said that over the course of the almost-week the ad ran, he fielded about 70 calls about his wayward Chihuahua.